Category Archives: Family

Sometimes you spend money and effort and time incalculable on a project for a child, and they are unmoved by it. Sometimes you throw together something quick and necessary, and it becomes the #1 Best Most Loved Favorite Thing That Accompanies Them Everywhere Until It Is Destroyed By The Sheer Force Of Their Adoration.

Meet Ithilien’s alligator pants. Or what’s left of the seat of his alligator pants, after nearly 3 years of weekly or better wear for the rough-and-tumble kinds of activities which small children find most appealing.

Frankly, I think they held up really well considering they are just linen and muslin and a few errant patches of baby wale corduroy. But now they are no more.

In fact, they met their demise about two months ago, when Ithilien slid down the boulder next to the chicken yard for the bazillionth time. And he was completely distraught when I told him that they were too far gone for the mending basket– not only were they worn transparent in the seat and the cuffs, but they had a permanent crease where I’d let out an earlier hem, and they were size 4T on a child who is now wearing 6/7.

I promised that we could make new alligator pants. And he said, tears still shining on his face, “I want them to be soft and fuzzy like my favorite gray pants.” Which are, of course, some synthetic fleece sweatshop-produced crap that my parents bought at Target when Númenor unexpectedly needed back-up pants while staying with them.

I hemmed and hawed and tried to convince the child of the merits of wool flannel and the all-seasons practicality of midweight linen-hemp canvas and briefly considered buying $24/yard organic cotton sweatshirt fleece in a green he didn’t think was alligatory enough before finally caving in and buying a yard of bright green polyester fleece.

I hate it so much I think I might die.

But Ithilien loves it.

And I’m trying to see the bright side: at least it’s warm. It was cheap. It won’t fray. It looks okay with the patches and accent pocket from the old pants. I won’t lose it in the laundry. My parents can machine wash and dry it if necessary.

Oh, the things we do for love.

I’m using Rae’s Parsley Pants pattern in size 6. I know she designed it for woven fabric, but I’m a rebel (and the previous alligator pants were Parsley Pants). I’m not linking to the cheap polyester fleece, and you can’t make me.

Robert has been listening to people say they’re scared to come to school.

Robert and I have been sitting up until dawn, talking. Angry. Scared. Sad.

I have been quoting The New Colossus and warning people that this is the moment. This. Is. The. Moment. in which they can choose to collaborate with evil or use their privilege to agitate for what’s right.

Mostly, though, what we’ve been doing– what, I think, we’ve ALL been doing for the past few weeks, is turning to everyone we meet, holding up what we loved about our lives in this country, and saying “Fix it.”

When Númenor was a toddler, he would bring things to me and plaintively lisp out “Broken. Fix it?”

That’s where we all are right now.

It’s broken.

Fix it?

Someone?

Please?

At least tell us where to start.

What glue do you buy to put families divided by immigration policy back together?

What stitch can we use to patch up our hopes for the future?

How would you break down dismantling the imbalance of power between the traditional checks and balances into easy weekend projects?

Which infomercial tells me about the space-age no-mess solution for getting back what little transparency and accountability our government had?

How can we restore life, re-build places of worship, un-do what just happened?

Ultimately, a society isn’t a toy, and no amount of clever clamping and wood glue will fix a government that’s cracked through.

But still we stand here, outraged and unbelieving, sad and furious and on the verge of a toddler tantrum, demanding that someone fix it.

That’s where we’ve been.

I think we might be here for a while yet. And that’s okay. But it won’t be forever. Someday, we will find the way forward. We’ll land on the methods of resistance that work best. We’ll find a strategy, and identify a first step, and then another, and another. We’ll crawl back to the light.

In the meantime, people may be a little quiet and a little fragile, me included.

So take good care of yourselves, folks. And watch out for each other– sometimes people lack the good sense to come in out of the rain.

Númenor has a January birthday. It’s tough, having a birthday a few short weeks after Christmas, because everyone is kind of over buying presents and eating to excess. And your poor parents are likely feeling glutted for toys and books, not that I would know.

People can’t spend the kind of money and time on January presents as they could on summer birthday presents, but you are just as special to them as you would be if you were a Gemini.

So the things you get are simpler, more likely to be homemade, more likely to be experience-based than object-based, but life is still good. For one thing, a January birthday is a great excuse to get new add-ons and accessories for your favorite Christmas presents– a sequel to your new favorite book, perhaps, or an extra set of wheels for your fancy new building set.

And, of course, everyone is ready for a little deviation from the usual winter flavors, too. A strawberry cake in November might seem unseasonable and strange, but a banana cake in January is refreshing and novel.

And so is ice cream.

This knitted and crocheted ice cream, for the smalls’ play kitchen, is high in fiber (alpaca and wool!) and warm to the touch, making it perfect for winter. And it’s festive enough to be a gift for the happiest of birthdays, of course!

Project details on Ravelry. The ice cream sections are my own improvised patterns.

I have this heady fantasy that someday, while I’m browsing the shelves of a used book store, I will happen across an old, stained, turn-of-the-20th-century book with a title like “Too much of a good thing: how to use up an excess of anything.”

This fantastical book will have chapter titles like “What to make with too much ________” and “How to use up extra _______” where the blanks are filled in with those things I usually don’t have enough of, but sometimes manage to be totally buried in. Things like milk, and little scraps of leather, and decorative rivets, and palm-sized bits of cotton calico, and those temptingly sturdy boxes fancy chocolates come in, and jam.

Yes, jam.

Right now, I have a scraping of raspberry preserves, a scraping of quince paste, two and a half jars of quince jelly, and about 3/4 of a jar of huckleberry compote all clamoring for my attention in the fridge. And we *just* managed to use up a pint of strawberry jam, after I shamelessly instructed Ithilien to scrape out the last spoonful and eat it straight. I know how this happened: we were out of jam at the end of the summer, so I bought a jar of raspberry preserves on special. Then I borrowed some strawberry freezer jam from my parents to make Ithilien’s birthday cake. Then I found a forgotten pint of quince paste from last time at the bottom of our canning jar stack. Then we canned our quince jelly for this year, and had an awkward half-jar leftover, plus two jars that didn’t seal. Then my dad got some huckleberry compote for Christmas that wasn’t sweet enough for his taste and I volunteered to take it home because, for real, who wouldn’t accept free huckleberry jam?

And here we are.

So I’m spending my new year making homemade Pop Tarts and Jammie Dodgers in the desperate attempt to turn the preserves that we use sparingly at breakfasts and on the occasional PB&J into things we can eat up right away without any particular effort.

Which I suppose bodes well for our new year, because an embarrassment of riches is an auspicious way to start anything, right?

Happy (and sweet and sticky) 2017 to you and yours! May this year be as kind to us all as possible.

It’s difficult. It means sitting with a lot of uncomfortable truths. It means prefacing a lot of statements with “I think” or “basically.” It means admitting to my own ignorance and failings more often than my ego would prefer.

It also means we don’t do those childhood myths designed to scare or haze children: no Santa Claus, no Easter Bunny, no Sugar Sprite, no Boogeyman, and no Tooth Fairy.

We do preserve the parts of those traditions that are important or fun, because growing up is significant and life should be fun, but there’s no fanciful explanation for it. My kids know that Robert hides the Easter eggs, that I make the majority of their Christmas presents, and that the house takes a cut of their Halloween candy action (which is only fair, since we supply transportation, room and board, and attire).

And most of the time I feel like it’s magic enough to have a loving and stable family,a safe home, and a beautiful world to explore.

But for some reason, when I looked in Númenor’s mouth a few months ago and saw two VERY loose front bottom teeth and the permanent teeth already erupting under them, I felt a little tug of sadness about the fact that our house is a Tooth Fairy No-Fly Zone. I worried, just a little, that somehow this milestone wouldn’t be as important or as marked as it should be.

So I thought about how we should shape our family traditions as we turned this new corner. Here’s what I came up with.

Some practical equipment, namely toothpaste. Until now our smalls have been brushing their teeth with just water, which works fine, but we want to be extra-careful with those new permanent teeth coming in because they have to last. So now Númenor has his own little pot of baking soda, bentonite clay, and coconut oil to help him clean and polish.

A special gift for this special first tooth, in this case, the A-frame play tent I’ve been planning. There will probably be a special gift for the last tooth, too, when we get there.

Two tiny bits of tradition: a tooth traded for a gold coin, and a special place for the dead drop. The trade is the magical part, and the pocket money is the bit kids actually care about.

This is the beginning of the end of the little-kid parenting in our family. Now that those first teeth have dropped, Númenor is just a regular kid, no longer a little kid. There are still others coming up the ranks, of course, but we will have one child who is too old to be called little anymore.

It’s Advent and time to get ready for Christmas! In celebration, here’s a list to help with your elving. It’s current as of 2016, and I will update it as necessary in the future. I hope you find something to inspire you here– enjoy!

If you’re like me, you have no problem coming up with presents to give people for the holidays, but filling stockings is a bit more difficult. Picking out a dozen appropriate trinkets is much harder than finding a couple big gifts!

As I have filled my children’s stockings over the past several years, I’ve struggled with exactly what belongs. I don’t want to fill them with cheap junk, or with too much candy, and I don’t want to spend a lot of money or time on stocking stuffers. I want the things in my family’s stockings to be worth getting, but still small.

So I brainstormed up a list one year, based in part on what I’ve found works and in part on what I predict will work but haven’t had occasion to try yet. A lot of the things on this list (I’ll use an asterisk * to denote them) can be made at home with only a hobbyist skill level.

Stocking Stuffer Idea Masterlist

For babies and toddlers:

fruit— it’s cheap and they love it. Easy-peasy. If you aren’t doing baby-led solids, you can always tuck a couple of their favorite *purées into the stocking instead.

wooden spools— great for stacking, rolling, even lacing.

recycling— seriously: yogurt tubs, the metal lids from frozen juice concentrate, and squeezable condiment containers are all excellent toys for kids this age

*playsilks— one of the ultimate open-ended toys

*massage bars or food-grade oil— for baby massage. We use almond, but olive or sunflower would work equally well.

wadded paper— not only does it take up a bunch of space in the stocking, but you know they’ll love it. It’s fine to just use printer paper, but unbleached newsprint is ideal.

*crunchy snacks— puffed grains, yogurt puffs, or crackers in a little container are a great treat for a toddler, and they promote fine motor development.

hairbrush— a soft goat-hair brush is not only the perfect tool for keeping wispy baby hair groomed, it’s also a good sensory stimulation tool for teaching names of body parts and promoting coordination

small board books or indestructible books— Sandra Boynton books are a great size for most stockings.

*cake crayons or crayon rocks— this is a great present for older siblings to give a toddler as they can recycle their old crayon stubs.

*knot doll— perhaps the easiest doll to make, a great introduction to dollmaking for the giver and to dolls for the recipient.

*playdough— a single container of storebought is the perfect size for a stocking, or you can fill a baby food jar or other small container with homemade.

*bath toys, bubble bath, etc.— older babies are moving from just getting bathed to actively taking a bath, and that means it’s a great time to make sure they’re having good cleaning fun. Our favorite brand of bubble bath comes in a stocking-dominating 1-quart size, but it’s still an awesome way to make bathtime more playful.

*hat— whether it’s a soft stocking cap for a tiny December babe or a funny animal-eared hat for a toddler, a little warmth is always a welcome addition.

*bubble solution— most kids won’t be able to really work out how to blow bubbles at this age, but they’ll love watching someone else blow bubbles for them.

*fingerpaint— with art, it’s best to start them young. A tasty, good-to-eat fruit-based paint is best for this age, because you know they won’t be able to resist.

*blocks— whether it’s a thick branch cut into chunks or a delicate, German-made rainbow of fancy shapes, blocks are a great filler gift that even a newborn will quickly grow into.

*rattle— soft fabric or shiny silver plate, old or new, there’s a reason rattles are classic.

large buttons— to this day, I don’t think I’ve topped the Christmas when I gave my 1-year-olds a collection of 1.75-3″ buttons. A mix of colors, textures, shapes, and materials will be even more compelling.

For symbolic functionalists (ages 3-7):

magnifying glass— learn about bugs, optics, and the world in general. A great stepping-stone for kids who aren’t quite ready for a microscope.

hand-size ball— nothing too hard or too bouncy for younger kids, just a nice-sized toy for rolling down ramps and off of tables and using as a pretend egg.

colored pencils, *crayons, or markers— give good-quality tools that are a true pleasure to use. Everyone has their favorite brands and varieties; ours are Lyra Super Ferby, Prang, and Giotto Turbo Maxi.

craft sticks, large wooden beads, ball of string— open ended and cheap, these are an excellent way to get young engineers thinking about How To Make It.

magnet— a nice, big one is the best plan; something that can be used for testing surfaces and making paperclips dance but won’t wipe hard disks.

*paper airplanes— virtually free, this one is easy to underestimate, but a few sturdy pre-folded paper airplanes will give a kid this age at least a full day of play, if not a whole weekend.

crazy straws— be ready with a strongly-colored drink for maximum effect (grape juice works well).

*stickers— a guaranteed hit. To save money, buy up a bunch of stickers on clearance after seasonal holidays throughout the year. Kids this age will love stickers and stickering no matter how strange it is to be decorating with Easter bunnies in December.

sunglasses— equally for dressing up and eye protection, a cheap pair of kids’ sunglasses is the perfect size for a stocking.

*small soft toy— 90s Beanie Babies are cheap and ubiquitous and the perfect size for a stocking.

novelty socks— whether the kid in question loves Winnie-the-Pooh or sugar skulls, you can probably find something. The bargain section of Target often has great novelty kids’ socks throughout the year.

inflatable ball— deflated for a stocking, just blow it up for Christmas afternoon burning-off-energy.

temporary tattoos— especially if a kid has an inked parent, this can be a fun addition to the dress-up possibilities. In our house, we use temporary tattoos as post-bath incentives (because they stick better to clean skin, of course).

*hair accessories— the “ouchless” style of hair elastic made from fold-over elastic is best for kids this age. Don’t shy away from sparkly, glittery, fuzzy, or generally over-the-top– little kids understand exuberance, but have no concept of tackiness.

*alphabet or number toys (stamps, stickers, games…)— a set of mini alphabet stamps or a spinny speller, number stickers or a set of dice with Arabic numerals on them, or even place-value blocks are all great learning tools and toys for this age.

small notebooks, sketchbooks, or writing pads— some kids will make a single mark on each page, flip through to the end and declare themselves done, while others will fill every blank space and still be trying to cram more in. Either way, they’ll love it.

small musical instrument—such as a whistle, ocarina, mini hand drum, maracas, etc. for making noise and (hopefully) contributing to the family band more than to the family headache.

non-toxic nail polish— little kids love to dress up and adorn themselves for special occasions, so a tube of Piggy Paint or another kind of non-toxic nail polish can be an awesome little treat.

*glow-in-the-dark anything— no really, anything. Buy some glow-in-the-dark beads and seal them into an old spice jar and call it ectoplasm or toxic slime or magic beans or ghost pills…

sunprint paper— as always, a fun little novelty and a good opening to talk about the science of sunlight.

small building sets— Playmobil, Lego, etc. often have mini-project grab-bags for a good price around the holidays.

*Ostheimer-style figures— look around online or in a natural toys catalog for inspiration, then grab a jigsaw and see what you can do. It doesn’t have to be perfect, especially if you portray a favorite animal, because it’s driven by imagination anyway.

Play house accessories— doll clothes, felt food, dollhouse furniture, play tools, mini spray-bottles, whatever the kid in question is into.

For concrete operationalists (ages 7-10):

glow sticks— whether they save them for the next summer’s drive-in movies or make a Boxing Day alien autopsy movie in the living room, there’s always a use for glow sticks, and you can buy them cheaply at the dollar store!

field guides— look at your local used book store or library book sale for a field guide to wildflowers, butterflies, minerals and gems, or whatever the kid in question always seems to need to know more about. Pocket field guides are the perfect size for a stocking!

temporary tattoo paper/*henna kit— a great gift for the kid who is already planning their 18th-birthday tat or needs even more ways to dress up for parties.

Japanese puzzle erasers— you can get them for about $1/each, and they are cute and functional. Kids this age love to collect and trade, too!

*small notebooks or journals— for secret thoughts, big plans, or just writing notes

stapler and staples, tape, scissors— the age-appropriate upgrades to the creation station, art table, or mini home office.

craft kit— a basic sewing/mending kit or an intro-to-knitting kit are great for this age, as are friendship bracelets, pin looms, beading kits, etc.

*tote bag— some kids this age are defined by their stuff– they need to organize it, secure it, travel with it, whatever, and a tote bag is a great, basic way to do all that.

pocket microscope— for the kid who wants to identify sub-species of ant or is always wondering what the inside of leaves look like, this is a perfect, stocking-sized upgrade to the magnifying glass.

magic trick— see what introductory tricks your local magic shop recommends– kids this age are finally ready to start learning some showmanship and they love feeling like they’ve outsmarted others!

book— “pocket” paperbacks are a great fit for most stockings. Kids this age usually love adventure novels, sci-fi, and fantasy. A book of jokes or a foreign language phrasebook could be great for the right kid, too!

origami paper— it’s pretty and versatile (it’s good for much more than origami), and it will spark creativity.

watercolor paints— the nicer kind that comes in little tubes is ideal for kids this age, and they’re still usually pretty cheap.

*jewelry— kids this age love fancier stuff, and a lot of it can still be affordable enough to be practical, such as a pendant on a ribbon, birthstone earrings, or bangles.

*pinback buttons— whether they have favorite characters, are themed for favorite holidays/seasons, or are just a cute typography of the child’s name.

card/dice games— whether they play by themselves, with friends, or at family game night, this is a great fit for both stockings and older kids.

*coordination toys— yo-yos, diabolos, jacks, marbles, and jump ropes are all great for kids this age.

Mad Libs or single issue of kids’ magazine— a great way to make reading fun and approachable, even for early readers.

clay or modeling clay— for kids who have graduated from play-dough.

collapsible or transforming anything— collapsible drinking cups can be found with camping supplies.

For tweens and teens:

earbuds— easily lost or broken over the course of a year, and pretty cheap to replace. Older teens might be ready for a high-quality pair that’s meant to last.

temporary hair dye/hair color spray/hair chalks— tweens and teens are all about decorating themselves, and this is a fun way for them to experiment without committing.

washi tape— a versatile and fun craft supply that makes great décor and personalization touches, it’s ideal for teens and tweens

*clothing embellishments— iron-on patches, hot-fix spikes or rhinestones, or just a pack of big safety pins can delight a punk-aligned teenager, although they will probably be too cool to show it.

*zip-up pouches— whether for makeup storage or organizing pencils, somehow young adults never have enough smallish, zip-up bags and containers.

*makeup and makeup tools—you can make simple makeup at home, but even the most sensitive-skinned brand snob will need supplies, and the local beauty supply store can have great deals on brushes, eyelash curlers, sponges, etc.

gel pens and black paper— tweens love novelty school and office supplies for sending notes to each other and personalizing their spaces and belongings.

small journal or diary, preferably with lock— it doesn’t matter how cheap and easily-defeated the lock is, a tween will still appreciate it.

embroidery floss for friendship bracelets— even jaded, consumerist tweens love doing little crafts like friendship bracelets, and most older teens would be happy to continue exchanging little handmade tokens with their friends.

polymer clay or cold porcelain— for the tween or teen who has outgrown modeling clay or wants something easier than natural clay.

*amigurumi— there are free patterns for virtually any character, animal, or interest. If you’re not crafty, you could still put together a kit for your teen or tween to make it themselves.

*accessories— a teenager’s need to play the fashion game can be met with a minimum of expense and trouble if they have a sizable and frequently-refreshed collection of accessories such as belts, hats, fashion jewelry, hair accessories, infinity scarves, etc.

*personal care products— teenagers are all about grooming. Indulge them with moisturizer, bath salts, lip balm, shave soap, or whatever they might need. Trial or travel sized goods are perfect for stockings and will help young adults figure out what works for them.

*favorite snack foods— if there’s any particular treat they love and you don’t like, or can’t understand, or normally refuse to pay for/make, slipping a few into their stocking is a great way to show that you love them.

novelty flash drive— for transferring term papers from home computers to school computers, sharing pics with friends, downloading movies to take to grandma’s 20th-century historical re-enactment (aka her house), or whatever, a fun flash drive is a must-have.

*monogrammed stationary— a fun, grown-up present for a teenager who loves all things personalized

calligraphy supplies— some teens pride themselves on the beauty of their handwriting, or the sophisticated ease of their doodling, or want to feel more connected to their Asian heritage. A couple pens and some ink is a great way to try out calligraphy before committing to a big expensive set.

CD/DVD/iTunes gift card— used CDs and DVDs are cheap and a great way for a young adult to start building their own media library. If you can’t find anything they like in a physical copy, you can put a little money towards their own digital purchases instead.

nicer, “grown-up” supplies for their handcraft of choice— whether it’s a nice pair of bamboo needles for a knitter, a little book of watercolor paper for a painter, a few remnants of silk for a sewist, a multi-needle punch for a felter, a couple fat quarters for a quilter, or something else entirely, a little investment in their interest now is a message that you believe in their talents and skills.

gift cards to local food shops— ice cream parlors, smoothie stands, pretzel stands, candy shops, or whatever you have in your area, in small denominations. Check the mall food court for ideas if you’re not sure. This one is great because you’re basically giving them a chance to hang out with their friends.

public transit passes/all-day-fare tickets— the gift of transport and independence, great for tweens and teens in a metro area

car wash vouchers— really a gift for you (if your teen doesn’t have their own car), but most teens are desperate for any chance to drive the car, even through the car wash, so they’ll like it, too

books— most teens have a favorite YA/pulp paperback author or series, such as Discworld, but if not, this is a great opportunity to introduce them to yours. Teens also like banned books!

grown-up coloring book— this is a great trend, whether your teen likes it or “likes” it

For grown-ups:

gift card— for their favorite coffee shop or other small indulgence

*consumable goods— especially nice soap or shave soap

*hair accessories— everyone always needs more hair elastics, bobby pins, etc. because the little stuff like that is always getting lost

*keyrings/fobs or luggage tags—especially with their monogram or a favorite character or theme

*artisan chocolate— the Thanksgiving or Halloween clearance is a great way to pick up a couple little things that are still delicious, even if technically the snowflakes are would have been more seasonally-appropriate than the acorns.

*bottle of micro-brew beer or gourmet soda— Jones or Dry soda are my personal favorites, but check your local supermarket and ethnic stores (Jarritos come in some pretty wacky but delicious flavors!)

*cold-weather accessories— most adults suck at self-care. Make sure they have a warm hat, gloves, mitts, scarf, cowl, slippers…

socks or underwear— if you know their favorite kind, it is perfectly acceptable to buy socks or underwear for the stocking of an adult

*shot glasses— plain glasses are cheap and it’s easy to DIY them into something amazing and personal– but it would be tough to fit most stemware into a stocking. A shot glass or two, or maybe a single tumbler, is the way to go for stockings.

liquor minis— if their favorite alcohol is too expensive to buy often, you can still likely get a mini of it for a very reasonable price.

*coin purse or pouch— especially people who carry purses or handbags tend to get a bit disorganized and could use more little secure containers, regardless of their system for coins.

*billfold or wallet— even the perfect wallet wears out, and you can easily and cheaply replace them with DIY options

sealing wax and signet— a great, low-cost present for the antiquarian, the anachronistic, the steampunk aficionado, or just the perpetual host or avid papercrafter

multi-tool— some people need all the help they can get perfecting their EDC.

*small puzzle or brain teaser— everyone likes a challenge, and everyone likes a toy, no matter how old or “grown up” they are

novelty standard card deck— whether they love flowers or baseball or Star Trek TOS, you can probably pick up a card deck that caters to them for a reasonable price.

*desk toy or fidget— mini zen garden, stress ball, worry dolls, paper construction set, or a magnetic sculpture of paper clips, everyone needs something to play with to help them work

old photograph of them— choose one from 10+ years ago that evokes a special memory or looks like it has a story behind it. This is especially great for elders, because it’s basically an opportunity to reminisce for an audience.

“Someday, someone will tell you that feminism is no longer necessary. That men and women are equal in society. But right now, you can see that’s not true. Because more than 50 million Americans have just legally declared themselves willing to be led by Donald Trump, even though he is terrible and dangerous and unqualified in every way, rather than a woman, even though she may be the most qualified candidate for political office in all of human history.”

We were huddled together against the chill and the hatred, watching the election returns. The mood had been jovial, if a little manic, but slowly turned to terror and shock. I couldn’t stop shaking and felt nauseous. Robert tried to argue that it wasn’t over yet, but I knew it was. None of us understood it, but we saw it.

“Yes he will,” I said, my eyes stinging, “this is the whole race. It’s over.” Ithilien curled his lip as tears formed in his eyes.

“Maybe it’s just a mistake.” Númenor offered, his fists tight with anger and incomprehension. “It must be wrong.”

But we knew.

I started to cry.

What went wrong? What happened? Could we have prevented this? Would it have made a difference if we had donated more money? If we had been brave enough to put up a yard sign? If we had flown to Florida to GOTV, would that have been enough?

I suspect not.

I think, in my heart of hearts, that what we saw tonight was an ugly reminder of how much we have left to grow as a society. A frightening harbinger of a new era of hate and horror, certainly, but mostly a reflection of how hateful and horrible our past and has made our present.

Hillary Clinton lost tonight. So did tolerance, love, peace, fairness, understanding, rationality, and the way forward.

Right now I don’t know if we can find those things again. But I’m going to keep looking. I’m going to keep raising children who expect those things and who will help foster them. I’m going to keep looking for the light ahead, the distant goal, that “greatness,” and strive for it with my whole being.

Several weeks ago, I mentioned that Númenor once again needed a new hoodie and coat for the winter. I don’t know how this happened, because he JUST got new ones last year, but during the Dance of the Hand-Me-Downs, I noticed that his wrists and forearms had made a break for it and replacements were urgently needed.

We talked about his hoodie, and he described this fantastical vision for a T-rex skeleton costume piece, complete with tail and functional teeth and glow-in-the-dark bones.

I said, hmm. And uh-huh. And yes, that would be super awesome.

And then I said, here’s what I can do: fuzzy appliqué bones, full ribcage, upper limbs, and skull.

And he said, “Oh, okay. That will be easier to sit down in the car and play on the playground. Plus then I can sneak up on people in the dark.”

Such wisdom, from one so young.

So now I’m studying the skeletal anatomy of the T-rex in astounding detail, and desperately trying to adapt what I learn to a hooded sweatshirt for a human-shaped child, because it turns out that if I had wanted to buy this garment in a store, I would have been totally SOL.

It’s been an interesting process.

And the end result will be imperfect and definitely homemade-looking, but pretty cool, I think. If nothing else, Númenor and I can look back on this project and laugh, and he will at least know that I love him, and I’m willing to try audacious things to make him happy.

Here’s hoping that’s what counts.

Organic black sweatshirt fleece from Organic Cotton Plus, white bamboo rayon/organic cotton velour from Etsy, the pattern and technique are my own and not recommended.

Now that we’re mired in the part of summer that’s too hot for much of anything– certainly unseasonable for having a big pile of flannel in my lap– but about to leave the last heat wave of the season, I’ve been looking forward to some cool-weather crafting and giving some thought to what needs to happen.

Here’s my list, necessities and fripperies in no particular order, of the top 10 things I need to make in the coming season:

Tea towels. The flour sack towels that wrapped a few of our favorite kitchen gadget wedding gifts are finally sprouting holes and wearing out. I’m thinking the new ones are going to be mid-weight natural linen, but the same dimensions as the old ones.

Coat for Númenor. Another year, another coat. This one is definitely going to be lined with some of that gorgeous Portland bridges fabric I picked up a few years ago, but I’m not sure what the outer fabric will be like or what pattern I’m going to use. I might draft my own pattern.

Hoodie for Númenor. Something fun and slightly funky, as usual.

Twin-size comforter for Ithilien. In the depths of winter, the nursery gets pretty cold in the middle of the night. At the moment, we have only one twin-size comforter, and that can cause strife. I’m planning to whipstitch together a couple of old flannel top sheets, fill with some fluffy recycled fiberfill, and tie it down to quilt it. The only trouble will be that the sheets I have are green and green-red plaid, and Ithilien is a red-loving kid who might object to the forest tones. But it’ll be warm regardless.

“What Lives Here?” picture book. This is one I’ve been puzzling over for some time. The smalls are always asking what kinds of animals live in our area, especially when we go on drives. I’m currently working on a collage-style picture book showing different ecosystems and settings and filled with the different animals that might live there. It’s a huge undertaking, even limiting myself to a 20-mile radius around our house, since we live in a transitional zone between at least three climates.

Toy ankylosaurus for Ithilien. I made a stegosaurus for Númenor a while back, and Ithilien demanded an ankylosaurus. How one knits an ankylosaurus I am not sure (possibly with lots of bobbles?), but I’ll figure it out.

Autumn leaf babies. If you’ve been around a while, you might remember my spring raindrop babies. I’ve been trying to work up to a whole four-seasons set: snowflakes, raindrops, fruit (or maybe sunshine?), and autumn leaves. I love dollmaking, and these little felt-and-wood sweeties are downright addictive in their simplicity and appeal.

Altoid tin boredom busters. We recently inherited a big box of mint tins. They are the perfect size to tuck in a pocket or purse and you can fill them with anything. So I’ve been trying to develop a set of toys and activity kits inside Altoid tins for when we travel or waiting at restaurants.

More petticoats for myself. Hopefully at least two more cotton ones (black, I think) and if I can find room for it in the budget, I would love a woolen flannel one for winter wear.

Halloween costumes. This year the smalls have both decided on light-themed costumes, which means getting creative with LEDs and possibly wearable circuitry. Númenor’s might yet be merged with his hoodie, but we have yet to have our first formal design meeting, so it’s very much still TBD.

What about you? What are you looking forward to making as the weather changes?